‘NXT: UK’ Review (Feb 27th 2019)
Welcome to this week’s NXT: UK review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and Chris Hero invades…excuse me, it’s Kassius Ohno now (delete buttons are too expensive). Do you think WALTER’s last name is Cronkite?
Match #1: Tyler Bate def. Gentleman Jack Gallagher
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
“One third of British Strong Style, one half of Moustache Mountain, but one Strong Boi.” Like his partner Trent Seven last week, Tyler Bate stepped off the mountain to tangle with WWE 205 Live’s exceptionally proficient grappler Gentleman Jack Gallagher. The resulting match was a technical masterpiece that also featured a few wicked strikes. The two determined competitors suddenly engaged in a series of 35 lightning-fast pinfall attempts/counter attempts, an occurrence that truly gave the referee an aerobic workout as he continuously slammed his hand into the mat. As they emerged from the spirited back-and-forth, Bate had the presence of mind to hook his opponent to the canvas and pick up the quick victory.
My Take: 3 out of 5 – This was an excellent technical bout that made for a fine opener. The holds were implemented well and every-thing was crisp. This moved fast and furiously all the way through each exciting maneuver until we got a winner in a real winner of an opening contest. Doesn’t that just sound precious? I’m a big idiot.
Match #2: WALTER def. Kassius Ohno
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In a matchup of sheer brutality, WALTER went head-to-head with his most difficult challenge since joining NXT UK in the form of Kassius Ohno, who was making first appearance on the rising brand. Without question, Ohno gave The Austrian Anomaly a truly painful run for his money, but when he missed a critical Moonsault off the top turnbuckle in the final moments, WALTER made him pay for it, showing incredible agility by blasting his prey with an explosive dropkick and the follow-up Powerbomb for the win.
My Take: 3 out of 5 – This was another excellent match that brought together two of the best wrestlers in the world today to have a very nice match that teases what these guys can really do in the ring. WALTER fits this brand like a glove and feels like a natural choice to become champion this year. Wrestling Ohno is a great way for WALTER to show Vince why he was worth the contract he signed, since Ohno and WALTER have fought in numerous leagues all over the world. If you’re hoping for this bout to be a brutal slug-fest, then you’ll get your wish in short order here.
Match #3: (Main Event) NXT UK Tag Team Champions Zack Gibson & James Drake def. Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch – NXT UK Tag Team Championship Match
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In a highly-contentious main event showdown, The Grizzled Young Veterans defended their NXT UK Tag Team Championship for the very first time against NXT’s Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch. The four rugged Superstars fought tooth-and-nail for the championship gold, pummeling each other with everything they had to leave Phoenix with the titles. In the final moments of the championship fight, the challengers seemed to be closing in on the titles when they hoisted James Drake up before hitting him with a thunderous high-angle DDT, but Drake somehow kicked out of the deadly maneuver by the narrowest of margins. Moments later, Zack Gibson sent Lorcan off the ropes and crashing down to the ringside floor. Although Burch somehow kicked out of the follow-up pin attempt — even with Gibson holding Drake’s feet on the ropes — the titleholders quickly regrouped and hit The Ticket to Mayhem to vanquish the challengers.
My Take: 3.5 out of 5 – This was an excellent title defense that worked well in establishing the champions as formidable. The action was a wide variety of every sort of move and technique you can imagine, but never got lost in its own ambitions either. The goal here was to show a proper tag title match and that’s what they did, with no guff or trash to gum up the works. Is that the phrase? Gum up the works? Gunk up the works? Screw it. I ain’t Susan Lucci. The champions have a lot of potential as they are now and I hope these guys get to keep the straps for long enough to make it all matter.
News Of The Night:
- Jordan Devlin fights Travis Banks in a Falls Count Any-Where Match, next week.
- Ligero fights Joseph Conners, next week.
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
This turned out really well and did so by keeping everything very simple. The matches were a lot of fun and the main event got the job done and in style.
